Energi

Baterai Sodium-Ion Sedang Naik Daun, Namun Lithium-Ion Mungkin Tetap Bertahan Karena Indium

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Kebangkitan Kembali Lithium-Ion?

A recent discovery by researchers at Cornell University might bring lithium-ion technology back into the race for perfect battery technology. They have found that using an indium anode material would allow for extremely quick charging of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries have, so far, dominated the design of batteries for small electronics and early EV models. However, some limitations of the technology have made the industry look for alternatives, including sodium-ion or solid-state batteries.  Using Indium, a key problem for the mass adoption of EVs – range anxiety – would be removed. Most EV users are concerned about running out of battery before reaching a charging station. So, they tend to look for a very powerful battery pack, which adds weight and costs to the car.

Another problem is the time it takes to charge the battery. This can be a serious concern for long-distance travel or commercial applications. It also reduces the availability of charging stations, with each “full tank” taking time and keeping the EV charger unavailable.

So, a quicker-to-charge lithium-ion battery technology could help reduce the cost of EVs, alleviate range anxiety, and improve the capabilities of the charging network.

Baterai Indium Menjadi Penyelamat?

The research was conducted by Lynden A. Archer’s team at Cornell’s Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with the lead author Shuo Jin, a chemical and biomolecular engineering doctoral student.

In their publication “Fast-charge, long-duration storage in lithium batteries” they explain their approach. They focused on the kinetics (speed) of electrochemical reactions, specifically the “Damköhler number.” By looking at solid-state transport rates, they found that indium was a very good candidate for fast-charging batteries. Currently, indium is mostly used in LCD screens and other high-tech applications like photovoltaics, cryogenics, and nuclear reactor control rods.

Indium is a good metal for use in anodes because of its rapid diffusion and slow surface reaction kinetics, which translate into fast charging for the battery.

Indium Langkah Pertama Menuju Baterai yang Dirancang AI?

Indium anodes could allow to reduce range anxiety, which in turn would reduce the need for very large and heavy battery packs. However, indium itself is a very heavy and dense metal.

This is why Pr Archer also considers his team’s discovery about indium as a starting point.

Di situlah terdapat peluang untuk pemodelan kimia komputasional, mungkin dengan menggunakan alat AI generatif, untuk mempelajari kimia material ringan lainnya yang dapat mencapai angka Damköhler yang secara intrinsik rendah yang sama.

Misalnya, apakah ada paduan logam di luar sana yang belum pernah kami pelajari, yang memiliki karakteristik yang diinginkan?

Leveraging AI advancements to find new battery materials is a realistic idea, as has been shown by PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) researchers. In our article “Changing the Timeline for Discoveries through Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, we discussed how they used several predictive chemistry AIs to menyaring 32 juta ide dalam kurang dari 80 jam, leading to the discovery of a new battery electrolyte.

So maybe the same technique can be used, focusing on the Damköhler number to find materials performing as well as indium, but less heavy.

Stok Siklus Hidup Baterai

1. Arcadium Lithium (Penggabungan Allkem + Livent)

Arcadium is the result of the merger of equals between lithium mining leaders Allkem and Livent, making it the 3rd largest lithium producer in the world. The merger creates a company present in all steps of lithium production and processing.

The company’s production is mostly located in Argentina, in the lithium triangle (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia) in the form of brines, with some hard rock lithium in Canada and Australia.

Sumber: Arcadium

Lithium is a commodity that has recently suffered from low prices, as major automakers like Ford or GM have slowed down their plans for EVs. At the same time, produsen EV China seperti BYD dituduh membanjiri pasar luar negeri dengan EV berbiaya rendah, which could trigger a new wave of EV adoption in the coming years. For example, BYD Seagull seharga €10.000 yang tiba di Eropa tahun ini.

So, the current price weakness in lithium might not be forever.

2. CATL

CATL is the global leader in battery manufacturing, producing more than half of the global battery volume. The company is present at every step of the battery manufacturing supply chain and is a leader in battery technology.

This is true for lithium-ion batteries, where the company is a long-time established leader. CATL has also announced impressive progress on multiple other battery types :

Sumber: CATL

CATL juga telah menginvestasikan €3,25 Miliar dalam kapasitas daur ulang baterai di China. CATL secara khusus telah mencapai tingkat pemulihan luar biasa sebesar 99,6% untuk nikel, kobalt, mangan, dan 91% untuk lithium.

Thanks to its scale, focus, and R&D achievements, CATL is likely to be at the forefront of battery innovation, manufacturing, and recycling. This makes it a key partner for EV manufacturers, including Tesla (TSLA ), NIO, Ford, Stellantis, etc.

3. BYD

A long-time challenger of Tesla in the EV market, BYD has become a serious competitor not only for Tesla but for virtually all automakers.

The company evolved from its origin as a phone battery supplier menjual hampir sebanyak EV seperti Tesla di China (pasar EV terbesar di dunia) dan menjadi EV terlaris di Thailand, Swedia, Australia, Selandia Baru, Singapura, Israel, dan Brasil.

BYD is a large part of why China suddenly became the world’s largest car exporter in 2023, surpassing Japan. The company’s aggressive overseas expansion is also carried by new factories, seperti di Hungaria. And with the release of $10,000-$12,000 cars like the Seagul, a whole new market might open for BYD EVs.

Sumber: By User3204 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=142412738

Still at its core, a battery manufacturer, BYD is a serious challenger to CATL in the LFP battery market, with a 41.1% market share in China (compared to CATL’s 33.9%).

The “flood” of cheap EVs produced by BYD into the European and American markets is likely to be met with some level of protectionism, which could hinder BYD’s growth. But at the same time, cheap Chinese EVs are already a great success in the rest of the world, which does not have incumbents much in the way of domestic automakers to protect, including the entirety of South America, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

This represents several billion potential customers for BYD, living in countries eager to strike a geopolitical balance and stay on good terms with both the West and China, so it is unlikely to create too strong protectionist barriers.

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Jonathan adalah mantan peneliti biokimia yang bekerja dalam analisis genetik dan uji klinis. Ia kini menjadi analis saham dan penulis keuangan dengan fokus pada inovasi, siklus pasar, dan geopolitik dalam publikasinya 'The Eurasian Century'.